Noel
by DramaLexy
Summary: Fifth and final story in my series after Harm, Marks, Pride, and Chances. Holiday fluff.
1. Chapter 1

**TITLE: Noel**

**SUMMARY: Fifth and final story in my series after Harm, Marks, Pride, and Chances. Holiday fluff.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own, you don't sue.**

* * *

Midday on Christmas Eve was extremely busy at San Diego International Airport. As Stef tried to keep track of her oldest and youngest sons while they made their way through the throngs of people, she made a mental note to ask her mother to fly in earlier next year.

"Grandma!" Jude yelled as he saw Sharon walking toward them, pulling a small rolling suitcase. She grinned widely as she hugged her grandsons.

"Hi, my babies! How are you? I swear you've grown a foot since I saw you," she told Jude.

He grinned. "No, I haven't."

"Well, fine, half a foot, then. Hi, darlin'," she told Stef as she reached to hug her, too.

"Hey, Mom. How was your flight?"

"It was fine. Where's the rest of the gang?"

"At our own version of Santa's Workshop," Stef replied. "They still had presents to finish wrapping, so they stayed home."

"Well at least I'm ahead of the curve for once," Sharon pronounced with a grin. "All of my gifts for you are already wrapped and bowed and in my luggage."

"Alright, let's head for baggage claim, then."

* * *

Back at the Adams-Foster house, the living and dining rooms did in fact look like Santa's Workshop had overflowed. There was ribbon and wrapping paper and rolls of tape everywhere. Callie, Mariana, and Jesus were each working in a separate area, having strategically placed a couple items around them to keep their siblings from seeing what they were wrapping.

"How's it going in here?" Lena asked as she came out of the kitchen with a mug of tea in her hands.

"Tell him to stop looking over here," Mariana said, giving her twin a glare.

"If you didn't want to take a chance of him seeing his present, you shouldn't have waited until Christmas Eve to get it wrapped," Lena pointed out.

Callie set three finished packages underneath the tree in the living room. "I'm done," she proclaimed and started to head for the staircase.

"Not so fast, missy," Lena told her. "Did you clean up? Mom's going to be back with Grandma any minute and this place looks like a disaster." Callie went back to put away everything she'd been using.

Moments later, the front door opened and Stef and Sharon came inside, with Jude and Brandon trailing behind carrying their grandmother's luggage. "Grandma!" Mariana and Jesus cried as they got up and went to get hugs. Callie also came over.

"Hey, guys. Wow, you certainly have been busy here, haven't you?" she commented as she saw their wrapping supplies.

Mariana noticed that Jesus was also looking over into the dining room and smacked him on the shoulder. "Cut it out! You can open it tomorrow."

"What?" he asked. "I wasn't trying to see!"

"Okay, you two," Stef cut in. "Knock it off. Brandon, Jude, can you put Grandma's bags in the living room?" They nodded. "Mari, Jesus, please finish wrapping and clean up? I know we're not having our normal big dinner tonight but I'd still like to be able to see the dining room table."

Sharon looked to her daughter in surprise as the kids all scattered and Lena went back to the kitchen. "We're not having dinner tonight?" she wondered. Christmas Eve dinner was a family tradition that they'd been doing for years.

Stef shook her head. "No. We're, um, we're going to church tonight."

Sharon raised an eyebrow and put her hands on her hips. "Who are you and what have you done with my daughter?"

She rolled her eyes and led the way toward the kitchen. "Funny, Mom."

"Since when do you go to church?"

"Well, Dad suggested bringing the kids for Christmas Eve service."

The surprises kept coming. "Oh, really?"

"Yeah. He's been really good lately about keeping an open mind, so we thought we'd do the same. It's also something that Callie and Jude used to do with their biological parents and it could be nice to have a new family tradition, right?"

Sharon shrugged. "Sure. I remember when we would go to Christmas Eve service when you were a little girl. You made a very cute shepherd in that Nativity pageant when you were seven."

Lena snickered. "Are there pictures of this?"

"I'm sure I've got them somewhere at my house."

"Which, luckily, is in Florida," Stef cut in. Sharon and Lena laughed.

* * *

Instead of their traditional large dinner eaten in the dining room, the family just had normal fare at the kitchen table. Afterward, they all headed upstairs to get dressed for church. All the women in the family had picked out dresses, while the boys wore dress pants, shirts, and ties.

"Don't you all clean up nice," Sharon told her grandchildren with a smile when they all came downstairs.

Jesus shrugged. "It's easier for some of us than others," he joked, striking a pose.

Jude scoffed. "Except you spent the longest in the bathroom!" Jesus playfully put him in a headlock.

They had to take both cars to get everyone to fit, but they found two parking spots close together. Frank was waiting by the front door to the church and smiled when he saw the family. "Hey, guys."

The kids all headed over to give him hugs. "Hi, Grandpa!"

"I'm so glad you all are here!"

"Us, too," Jesus assured him.

Callie hung back a bit from the rest of her siblings. No one would ever accuse her of being the most affectionate of the Adams-Foster kids. But the fact that she was by herself made it a little easier for another arrival at the church to spot her. "Hi, Callie," Trevor told his daughter as he walked up.

She smiled. "Dad, you came."

"When you guys invited me, I said I'd be here." He was doing his best to never break another promise to his children. "Where's Jude?" Callie pointed out her brother amid the other kids. Jude looked up at that moment and saw his father.

"Dad!" he cried as he ran over.

Trevor smiled as he gave his son a hug. "Hey, buddy. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you, too."

Stef and Lena watched the exchange; they'd originally been a little wary when their newest children suggested inviting their biological father to join them for the evening, but knew that they had to be the grown ups. This was just one little part of their family Christmas celebration that they had to share. Hopefully it would help the kids put more bad memories behind them and heal some old wounds.

% ^ % ^ % % ^ % ^ %

Inside of the church, everyone tried to work out seating arrangements. Sharon and Frank watched the kids and moms sort through who did or didn't want to sit next to who. "You remember when Stef used to be in the Nativity pageant in church?" Frank asked his ex.

"I was told earlier today that I'm not to speak of it again."

He laughed. "Could barely get her to sit still long enough to make it through rehearsal."

"Mmm-hmm."

"Remember 'Joseph' got in a wrestling match with one of the other shepherds because he accidentally hit him with his staff?"

Sharon burst out laughing. "Oh, I'd almost forgotten about that! And Stef was furious because it was right in the middle of her one and only line."

"Mmm. Who would have thought back then that she'd give us all of this?" The kids had finally all gotten seats and had started flipping through the hymnals to find the first song.

Sharon smiled. "Not us."

* * *

**TBC...**


	2. Chapter 2

It was pretty late when the family got back home after the service. "To bed, everybody," Stef told the kids as they came inside.

"Come on, just a little longer?" Mariana asked.

"Yeah," Jesus added. "It's not like you can still tell us that we have to be in bed so that Santa will come."

"Why not?" Jude asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

Jesus slowly turned around to look at him. "Wait…"

"Santa doesn't come if we're not sleeping, right?" Jude questioned, his voice small. "Or… are you saying that he's not coming at all?"

Stef shot her middle son a glare, hoping that he hadn't just shattered Christmas for his new little brother. "Of course Santa's coming," she reassured her youngest.

Jude's face went from total dismay to a bright grin as he started giggling. "Gotcha," he told them. Callie had her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing out loud.

"So you don't believe in Santa anymore?" Jesus questioned.

"No," Jude replied. "I'm not a baby."

Callie gave him a high five. "That was awesome!" she told her brother.

Lena wrapped an arm around Jude and tickled him. "Scaring your moms is NOT awesome," she declared.

Brandon shrugged. "Sometimes it is."

"You know," Stef told the kids, "We can take all of your presents back. The stores will be open bright and early on the 26th."

"Sounds like there are going to be a lot of coal-filled stockings around here," Sharon commented.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," Jude got out between giggles. Lena finally let him go.

"Seriously, though, Moms," Brandon said, "Can we just stay up a little bit longer? There's something I wanted to do."

"What?" Stef asked. He stepped over into the living room and picked up an object off the coffee table. Once he'd handed it to his mother, she realized it was a 'The Night Before Christmas' picture book. "Oh, I haven't seen this in years…"

"We found it when we were cleaning up our old stuff," Brandon told her. "I thought it might be nice if we all read it together. Like when we were little."

Stef and Lena shared a smile. "Everybody get jammies on and meet in our room," Stef told the kids.

* * *

It took some effort, but all five kids and the moms managed to find a place on their bed or the ottoman beside it. Stef smiled at the sight of their family together as she opened the book.

"Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be there. The children were nestled all snug in their beds while visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads. And mama in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap, had just settled down for a long winter nap." She then handed the book to Lena.

"When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash, tore open the shutters, and threw up the sash. When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer. With a little old driver, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be Saint Nick."

Mariana was cuddled up in Lena's arms, and she took the next turn. "More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, and he whistled, and shouted, and call'd them by name: Now, Dasher! Now, Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! On, Cupid! On, Donner and Blitzen! To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall! Now dash away, dash away, dash away all!"

Jesus took the book next. "So up to the house-top the coursers they flew, with the sleigh full of toys and St. Nicholas too. And then in a twinkling, I heard on the roof the prancing and pawing of each little hoof. As I drew in my head, and was turning around, down the chimney Saint Nicholas came with a bound."

"He was dressed all in fur," Jude read, "From his head to his foot, and his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot. A bundle of toys was flung on his back, and he looked like a peddler just opening his pack. His eyes, how they twinkled; his dimples, how merry. His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry."

"His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow," Callie continued the story. "And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow. The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, and the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath. He had a broad face, and a little round belly. That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly. He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, and I laughed when I saw him in spite of myself."

Brandon took the book from her. "A wink of his eye and a twist of his head soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread. He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, and filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk. And laying his finger aside of his nose and giving a nod, up the chimney he rose. He sprung to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, and away they all flew, like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, as he drove out of sight…"

"Merry Christmas to all," the whole family said together, "And to all a good night!"

* * *

Once the kids had all actually gone to bed, Stef slipped downstairs to check on her mother in the living room. Sharon was still awake, doing a crossword puzzle from the newspaper. "You okay down here?" Stef asked her as she sat with her on the sleeper sofa.

"I'm fine. And you were right; going to church tonight was very nice."

She smiled. "Yeah, it was." She set Brandon's book back down on the coffee table, and noticed that it completed a nice mix of traditions from all of their kids. A few weeks earlier, Callie and Jude had made an Advent wreath from green construction paper and some candles they found around the house. It was something they'd remembered from their pasts and wanted to share. A fake white poinsettia flower was in the middle of the wreath, an addition from Mariana. There were several more of the flowers in different spots around the house, one of very few holiday traditions that the twins remembered from their early childhoods. With Brandon's book sitting beside those items, it was a visual reminder of how much more rich their lives were because of all of their children.

"What is it?" Sharon asked, having noticed that her daughter's attention had wandered.

Stef shook her head. "Nothing. Just thinking."

Sharon picked up her cellphone from the side table and handed it over after tapping at the screen a couple times. Stef smiled when she realized that it was displaying a photo of the moms and all the kids reading together upstairs. "When did you take this?"

"I'm stealthy," Sharon replied with a smile. "You all looked so beautiful together, I couldn't resist."

"Can you e-mail it to me?"

"Already did."

Stef laughed as she got up. "Thanks, Mom. Sleep well."

"You, too, sweetheart."

* * *

**TBC...**


	3. Chapter 3

Sharon and the moms were the first ones up in the morning. It had been years since any of the kids had awakened with the sunrise on Christmas and started clamoring for presents. The women had a chance to take care of their morning ablutions and make eight mugs of hot chocolate before Lena and Stef went back upstairs to wake up their kids.

Stef went into Brandon's room first and knelt by his bed. "Morning, buddy," she told her oldest.

He turned over away from her. "Too early," Brandon mumbled. "It's Saturday."

She laughed. "Actually, it's Wednesday, you goof. And I assume you don't want your presents, then?"

After a moment, he turned back over. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, pal. If I leave to wake up your brothers, are you going to get up or go back to sleep?"

"I can get up if there's cocoa."

Stef smiled; it was a family tradition to get hot chocolate before opening presents. Each of the kids had their favorite thing to add to it - marshmallows, a candy cane, or extra chocolate syrup. "Do you really think we'd forget the cocoa? It's in the kitchen."

"Okay, I'm up."

% ^ % ^ % % ^ % ^ %

Lena had gone into the girls' room; she rubbed Mariana's back and gently shook Callie's shoulder. "Morning, girls. It's Christmas," she told them.

Callie sleepily smiled as she sat up. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you, too, sweetheart."

"Merry Christmas, Mama," Mariana told her as she also got up.

"Same to you, Mari. Hot chocolate is downstairs and Mom's getting the boys. No opening any presents until we're all there, okay?" They both nodded.

* * *

Once Jesus and Jude were also awake, everyone gathered in the living room. Mariana took charge and started handing out presents after checking the tag on each box and bag under the tree. The kids all had a $15 limit when it came to buying presents for each other; it was the best way to keep costs down. It also meant they had to really think about what to spend their money on.

"Here, Jude, this is for you from me," Mariana told her little brother as she handed him a gift bag. He reached a hand in and pulled out five bottles of nail polish - red, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Just like what the whole family had worn for Pride weekend. "I can help you, if you want," she offered.

Jude smiled. "Thanks."

"Callie, this is yours," Mariana told her as she gave her a small gift bag.

"Thanks." She frowned slightly as she found a 16GB SD card inside.

"Do you like it?" Brandon wondered; he was the one who had gotten it for her.

"Um, yeah, but I don't have anything to use it with."

Stef and Lena shared a smile. "Are you sure about that?" the blonde asked their daughter.

Callie suddenly realized what they were hinting at. She got up from her chair and started looking through the boxes under the tree to find another one with her name on it. Ripping off the paper revealed a digital camera. "Oh, my God. Thank you!"

"That's the one you wanted, right?" Lena asked.

She nodded. "It's perfect."

Mariana gave her twin the next box. "This is yours, from Jude," she told him, "And this is yours, from Jesus," she told Jude as she gave him a package, too.

Both of them ripped through the wrapping paper in no time at all. And then they cracked up laughing. "What's so funny?" Sharon wondered.

The boys each held up a video game case - for the same game. "You got each other the same thing?" Brandon wondered.

"Great minds think alike, huh?" Jesus said as he offered a fist for his little brother to bump.

Callie helped her sister pull a larger box out from under the tree. "Moms, this is for you," Mariana told them as they brought it over to where Lena and Stef were sitting. "It's from all of us."

Tearing off the paper and opening the box inside revealed a metal sculpture of a tree. As they looked closer, they realized that each of the leaves was engraved with the name of one of their family members. "This is beautiful, guys," Stef told them. "Thank you so much."

"I want hugs from everybody," Lena told them. All five of them piled onto the couch.

"It's a kid sandwich instead of a mama sandwich," Jude proclaimed with a laugh.

They got through the rest of the presents and began cleaning up the extra paper and ribbon while the moms started making breakfast. Brandon started to put the scraps from Callie's camera into a trash bag, but she stopped him. "I'll take care of it," she told him. He shrugged and kept going.

She looked down at the tag that was still attached to the crumpled wrapping paper. TO: CALLIE, it said. FROM: MOM, MAMA, & DAD. With a little smile, she carefully peeled the tag off and reattached it on the side of her camera.

"Hey, Jude," Stef called from the kitchen. "I think we found another present."

He headed into the kitchen. "For me?"

"Yeah, buddy," Lena told him. "Take a look outside."

Parked in the backyard was a new bicycle. "Awesome," he murmured.

"You like it?"

"Yeah!"

"It was a little big to wrap," Stef explained with a grin.

"Can I ride it?" he wondered.

"You're still in your pajamas," Lena pointed out.

"Grinch," Stef teased her.

"Fine, just a little test drive in the backyard. And wear your helmet!"

* * *

That night, they had the big dinner that was normally on Christmas Eve. It was another mix of traditions for all of the kids; Mariana had made tamales, Brandon and Jude helped Lena with mac and cheese, Callie multi-tasked making mashed potatoes and a plate of crepes for dessert, and Jesus helped Stef with the ham and string beans.

As each of the dishes was finished, they started moving everything into the dining room. Stef considered the poinsettia-and-ribbon centerpiece that was on the table, then switched it for the family tree that had been their Christmas present. Mariana smiled when she noticed while bringing in the salad bowl.

"Nice, Mom," she told her.

Stef smiled. "Thank you. What's left in the kitchen?"

"Just drinks. The boys are bringing them."

The table barely held the eight of them and all the food. Lena sat at one end, while Stef was at the other. Jude, Callie, and Brandon were along side with Mariana, Jesus, and Sharon across from them.

"Speech, speech!" Jesus teased his mothers. They usually had a toast before dinner.

"Shush, you," Lena told him with a laugh.

"Does everybody have a glass?" Stef asked. Everyone nodded. "Well… the view from here is very different from last year, huh?"

"This has definitely been a year of changes," Lena agreed. "First off all - thank you to Jude and Callie for letting us become moms again." The siblings smiled shyly. "And thank you to the rest of you for agreeing to open your hearts and home to your new brother and sister."

Brandon shrugged. "It seems like they've always been here."

"Next on the list," Stef continued, "Thank you, Lena, for agreeing to put up with me for the rest of your life."

She smiled. "Likewise. Hopefully next year will be just as busy and full of progress, and we'll all be here together and just as happy next Christmas."

Stef held up her glass and everyone else followed suit. "I've always liked this quote, and it seems apt for the year we've had. 'Love doesn't make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.' Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas!"

* * *

**Fin.**

**A/N: The quote at the end is by Franklin P. Jones.**

**A/N2: Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who's been reading along, especially those who have been with this series since the beginning and double especially to those who have taken the time to send feedback. I'm not sure what or when I'll be writing next (real life may be taking over for a while) but I'll be back eventually. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!**


End file.
